I made my views known in yesterday's What Are You Reading post:

"It bothers me, though, when "woke" people complain about words or mindsets that may no longer be acceptable but which were at the time a book was written. Who knows what our mindsets will look like fifty years or more from now?"

Those who control the narrative control "truth"......as they see it.

To my way of thinking, it's simply wrong to change a previously published book.

I also agree it's wrong to change a previously published book. Books are windows to the minds and life experiences of the authors. They are products of their times, and their viewpoints are important and valuable historically even if the ideas or characters are considered offensive now. (As an aside, I do think the title change to And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie is one of the rare instances where the original title was so offensive even at the time of original publication that changing it was absolutely correct.)

I believe everyone should be able to read widely and without censorship of any kind. Fiction allows us to experience a million different lives and times, and -- no matter how potentially offensive they might be today -- these older books are helpful to understand the mindsets of the past and should not be changed.

Ginny, I apologise as this isn't about books rather something I only heard/read about yesterday. Apparently there is a 'thing' happening in some English schools where small groups of children decide they are no longer humans but self-identify as animals. At first I thought it was some misplaced April 1 joke, but it appears that these kids, some in their mid-teens say they are cats or dogs and come to school wearing cats/dogs ears and tails. They are known as 'furries' and some of their teachers are so afraid of offending them they let them get away with this ridiculous behaviour. Not surprisingly the other children in these classes resent their antics, especially as they are expected to wear all the appropriate uniform (which doesn't include pointy ears, waggy tails etc) Often these kids refuse to 'speak' English and I suppose cannot be expected to write/read and so on.

No doubt the schools have to provide them with litter-trays.

I wonder if it says more about the parents than their children. Can all be well at home?

A Furrie Phenomenon

Well-said, Sheri!

Here some of the quite young children are being allowed to make their own decisions if they think they want to be a boy or a girl and getting instructions as to how a change can be accomplished. What if they change their minds when they get to be teenagers?

I came across several interesting articles on this topic others may want to take a look at. One from The Guardian, a well respected British newspaper, and one from The New York Times. You can find them online. From The Guardian on 26 March 2023--

" Sensitivity readers had made the edits, which were evident in digital versions of the new editions, including the entire Miss Marple run and selected Poirot novels set to be released or that have been released since 2020, the Telegraph reported."

This is the first time I have heard the term 'sensitivity readers'. How is someone chosen for that job, I wonder.

The New York Times notes on 3 April 2023--

"The estates of several revered literary figures are altering portions of well-known works to conform to current sensibilities, stirring a heated debate among readers and the literary world over whether, and how, classics should be updated." An article and many interesting readers' comments follow.

I mentioned Agatha Christie as she is so widely read but this practice is affecting other authors as well. I think it's a travesty.

It is all subtle and not so subtle subversion.

We could all make "Leave Our Books Alone!" signs and go picket somewhere.

I recall, years ago, learning that the Texas state Education Dept. routinely 'edited' their classroom history texts to reflect facts they preferred to be taught.

As a teacher, this shocked me that this could be done.

We are hearing rumbles about place names that should be changed locally. It has upset some people that the word "Chinaman" has been used frequently but some localities were so named because of a known Chinese man's connection, business or recreational.

"Then that actual person's name should be used." is the cry!

A few places are named French/men but haven't been getting the same attention!

This is all why we just have to live inside our books--preferably old ones before they have undergone any PC changes.

According to the news over here the latest book going into publication by Elizabeth Gilbert The Snow Forest has upset some reads on Goodreads to such an extent that she has either pulled it or put it on the back burner (not sure which). Apparently the story is set in Russia and some folk feel this is not a good time to mention/promote that country.

Perhaps some of you know what is going on there?

The Snow Forest

That's amazing, crazy, and hard to believe. Thanks for the article, Vee.

Where is the end to all of this? It's like living in a George Orwell novel.

The end of it is a Communist country.

yoyo, it could equally be a fascist dictatorship or a theocracy!

Vee.....absolutely. Any system that subverts and takes away freedoms .